So after only reading two chapters of the Soul Injury boo I feel that I have a much better understanding of what I’ve been feeling and experiencing for the past 20+ years of my life. As I was reading, the book really resonated with me. I have PTSD for multiple reasons, one of which is finding my son‘s body after he completed suicide in 2022. I’ve gone through intensive PTSD treatment through the VA, which was very effective. I’ve suffered various traumas in my life and yet the feeling that I had was something deeper that I couldn’t explain. In the first chapter of the book, I had an “aha moment”, and realized that I was hurting at the level of my soul. When they defined the three broad categories that cause soul injury, a lightbulb lit up in my brain when I read “fear of helplessness and loss of control.“ I spent 24 years in the military, 20 of which were either as a noncommission officer or an officer where I was in charge of people, equipment and responsible for making sound fiscal choices. After retiring from the military I worked 15 years in the VA as a surgical specialty ENT PA working primary with cancer patients. I had been a PA for a total of 29 years when I retired. So looking back on 39 your career in federal service, 34 of those years were in positions where I could not be helpless and I had to be in control. At the time I didn’t realize the toll that was taking on my soul. I’m really looking forward to delving deeper into this, learning more, and healing the deep injury that has impacted my life and my relationships for decades.

✨🕯️As 2026 opens its quiet door, I’m wishing you true prosperity—the kind you can feel in your bones. Prosperity isn’t just money in the bank. It’s peace in the nervous system. It’s relationships you can lean on. It’s time spent on what you’ll never regret. And for those stepping into this new year with an empty chair… I see you. The calendar may change overnight, but the heart doesn’t follow deadlines. If you’re celebrating and aching at the same time, you’re not doing it wrong—you’re loving. So before the year gets loud, here’s my gentle invitation: Choose meaning over motion. Choose presence over performance. Choose truth over habit. Choose love—again and again. One honest question to carry with you: What do I want my life to stand for in 2026? Not what looks impressive. Not what keeps everyone else comfortable. What’s meaningful. What’s real. What leaves you more you? If you’d like, drop one word that you want to guide your 2026—or share a name of someone you’re carrying into this year. We’ll make room at the table. 🫖✨ I'll put the kettle on................ Pam

The season is arriving the way it always does—soft at first… then suddenly everywhere. Lights in windows. Songs in grocery aisles.A kind of collective remembering. And with it comes the old pressure: lists, carts, wrapping paper, deadlines, receipts—the loud, glittering chorus of more. But under all of that…there’s a quieter invitation. To return to what can’t be bought to remember what actually lasts. Because the truest gifts of the season don’t come with bows. They come like this: - a call you almost didn’t make - a name spoken with tenderness - Forgiveness offered without a speech - a chair pulled out for someone who feels alone - a story told again… because it matters who remembers it - a moment of peace where fear used to sit - a “I’m here” that costs nothing—and means everything This time of year holds many sacred languages. Some call it Christmas. Some call it light returning. Some call it love, community, mercy, remembrance, or grace. Whatever words you use, most of us are longing for the same thing: To belong to-To be seen To be held—without having to earn it. So here’s our gentle question for Kettle & Candle this week: What is one “spiritual gift” you want to give (or receive) this season—something you can’t put in a box? If you want a few prompts to choose from, pick one: 1. A gift I’m giving this year is… (presence, patience, listening, honesty, kindness, repair) 2. A gift I’m craving is… (peace, time, forgiveness, laughter, rest, belonging) 3. One small ritual that brings me back to what matters is… 4. A person I want to reach for—before the season passes—is… (no details needed) If your season is joyful, bring that joy here. If your season is tender or complicated, bring that too. There’s room at this table for all of it. 🕯️ Put the kettle on… We’ll meet each other in the simple, sacred things.

Hey friends—wishing you a warm, peaceful holiday season, whatever you celebrate and however you’re spending it. May it hold small moments that matter: a soft laugh, a steady breath, a hand held, a memory made. Kettle & Candle will be away for the holidays so we can rest, be with our people, and let the year settle into its rightful place. ✨ We’ll be back on Monday, January 5, 2026—with fresh gatherings, new conversations, and a beautiful year ahead. Until then… put the kettle on, be gentle with yourself, and take care of what’s truly sacred. With love, Pam 🕯️